Marchesi De' Frescobaldi Sangiovese Blend Chianti Rùfina Nipozzano Riserva 2007

Shows sweet blueberry notes, with mineral and lilac. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and vanilla and bright fruit flavors. Clean and racy. Best after 2010.

If you need further proof of the quality of the '97 vintage in Tuscany, look no further than Nipozzano. This is not an esoteric bottle that few will ever drink. It's a well distributed wine that completely blew this critic away in a blind tasting. It grabs your attention and takes you imagination into a silk robe, over chocolate perfumes that hint at ambrosia, through layers upon layer of distinctive terroir, a lasting spice, a moist earthy character that's both hidden and potent. How can a wine cascade across the palate with so much grace, the sparkle of its flavors lasting for minutes? How can a sip bring to mind a sexual fabric rather than fermented grape juice?

The Nipozzano Riserva is a perennial favorite, and we recommend it highly in most vintages. The '93 combines all the wine's usual charms, including a trademark aroma that smells a little like an antique cigar box, and the wine goes a step further with a complete saturation of flavor. The richness of fruit across the palate shows a concentration and balance that will serve the wine well for those who wish to age it a few years. That balance is achieved with no overt tannin or excess weight, allowing an incipient complexity to come forward and provide plenty of pleasures right now. This is a wine to buy by the case.

The Frescobaldi family has made wine in Tuscany since 1308. Rufina is the smallest of the sub-areas of Chianti. The region is more mountainous than hilly; the grapes ripen more slowly due to the day-night temperature differential, which can produce rich wines. The Nipozzano has brilliant, purple-edged ruby red color. There are aromas of plum, olives, thyme, rosemary, blueberry, cranberry, dark cherry and red meat. The flavor is rich and round with crisp fruit, hints of cocoa and clove. The tannins are smooth. The finish is long and satisfying. This elegant and delicious wine is a wonderful Chianti. Enjoy with grilled, well-aged steaks, Boeuf Bourguignon, Agnello con olive all'Abruzzese or aged cheese.

This well known Italian winery has produced a lovely red that is 90% Sangiovese, with small amounts of Malvasia Nera, Colorino, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon added to give the wine more depth. It starts out with an enticing violet floral nose, and shows a deep ruby red in color. The wine is full-bodied, with well-focused tannins and a touch of warm spiciness on the finish. Perfect for sipping by the fireplace with an antipasto or tomato basil bruschetta.

The 2007 Chianti Rufina Riserva shows the open, opulent personality that makes this vintage so alluring. Ripe, silky tannins frame a core of red fruits, flowers and spices, all of which come together with unusual grace. Though medium in body, there is wonderful generosity to the fruit, not to mention fabulous overall balance. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015.

A burly Rufina, offering dried dark fruits and chewy tannins, with an aftertaste of dark chocolate and mineral. Full and satisfying, with fresh acidity on the back palate. A go-to Chianti. Drink now. 121,000 cases made. -JS (90% sangiovese, the rest colorino, malvasia nera, cabernet sauvignon and merlot) Deep violet-ruby. Fresh, fruity aromas of red cherry, blueberry and blackberry, with hints of underbrush and minerals; much less spicy, tarry and dark than some other recent vintages of this wine. Then bright and fresh in the mouth, with red cherry, plum and mineral flavors. Finishes smoothly tannic, polite and persistent. One of the better young Nipozzano vintages I recall: this really does remind you of the higher-altitude, cooler Rufina zone. The 2007 Chianti Rufina Riserva shows the open, opulent personality that makes this vintage so alluring. Ripe, silky tannins frame a core of red fruits, flowers and spices, all of which come together with unsual grace. Though med...